Rod-feeding device.



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m LITNO.. WASHINGTON D c No. 641,040. Patented 1an. 9, |900. c. G.RICHARDSON.

ROD FEEDING DEVICE.

(Applicatin filed June '15, 1899.) (No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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PATENT ROD-FEEDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forining part of Letters Patent 1\T o. 641,040, datedJanuary 9, 1900. Application flied June 15) 1899. Serial No. 720,669.(No model.)

To all whom/ it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES GODFREY RICHARDSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Springfield, in the county of Windsor and State ofVermont, have invented cer'- tain new and useful Improvements in Rod-Feeding Devices 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in rod-feeding devices which havefor their primary object the bringing of a new length of Work throughthe rapidly -rotating hollow Vspindle of a turret-lathe or screw-machinewithout the necessity ofstopping the machine for this purpose.

The devices to which my improvement appertains have a rotary carrier onthe hollow spindle containing feed-rolls which are given a motion ofrotation about their own axes while revolving with the carrier about theaxis of the spindle, so that the rod is-fed forward by means independentof those which rotate the rod, though connected therewith, a provisionbeing supplied` by which the feed motion of the rolls can be arrested orset up at the will of the operator without interfering with their motionof revolution about the axis of the spindle and carrier.

My invention consists in improved means for instituting and arrestingthe rotation of the feed-rolls on their own axes without irlterferingwith the motion of revolution of said feed-rolls about the axis of thecarrier.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification,Figure l is a side elevation of the rotary carrier. Fig. 2is an end view of said carrier. Fig. 3 is an end view of the carrierwith the end plate and centering means removed, showing the internalmechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3,cutting the carrier, the shifting-ring, the stationary gear, and therotary spindle and showing the interior mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detailsection on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, showing the fork which shifts the loosepinion t'. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4, showing theengagement-lug m. Fig. 7 is a plan view from beneath of a portion of theinterior mechanism. Fig. 8 is a vertical central sectional view of aportion of the carrier, showing a modification of the construction shownin Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a portion of said modification.

e is the rotary hollow spindle of the rodfeeding machine.

ot is the revolving carrier or shell, mounted on hollow spindle e androtating with it on a common axis.

b is the front plate, closing the carrier a and detachably securedthereto by screws 10 10. Said plate has a hub 11,y carrying thecentering-screws r r for loosely adjusting the rod to true axialposition.

f is a worm-shaft, having on it the worm a, rotatably mounted inbushings g h, driven p intol plate b and carriera, respectively.

'1l is a pinion loosely borne on worm-shaft f and capable of beinglaterally shifted on said worm-shaft by means hereinafter described.

d is a stationary gear-wheel forming a part of ixed plate l2 and havingteeth which in'- termesh with the teeth of shifting pinion t'. Saidfixed plate is provided with bolt-holes 13 13, by which it may be firmlysecured to the stationary parts of the screw-threading machine. Thestationary gear d is concentric with spindle c, which revolveswithinsaid gear d.

c is a ring mounted on the shell or carrier a., so as to be shiftablelaterally on said carrier while both are rotating by means of ashipper-fork set in the groove n of said ring or by any' otherwell-known and convenient means for shifting the same.

j is a fork mounted in ring c, as shown in Fig. 5, passing through aslot in carrier a, and engaging the loose pinion t' by means of theannular groove lo, formed thereon. When the ring c is shifted, the forkj shifts the pinion t' on its shaftf accordingly. Z is a clutch tooth orprojection formed on or integral with the shifting pinion t'.

mis a pin or lug fitted into shaft f and capable of engagement withprojection lwhen the pinion i is shifted laterally toward the same.

o o are shaft-boxes pivoted on shaft f, so as to oscillate about thesame as a center. These boxes carry rotary shafts p p, which bear at oneextremity of each the worm-gears 14 14, which are at all times in gearwith the IOO - iixed the feed-rolls q q on each side of and opposite tothe center of rotation of carrier a, made detachable and adjustable bymeans of the nuts 15 15. Said feed-rolls rotate with the shafts p p, asdriven by the worm a, and their peripheries are made to conform to theshape of the driven rod, being shown in the drawings as slightly concaveto feed a roundrod. If the rod should be polygonal in section, theserolls could be removed and others substituted having a periphery shapedto conform thereto, if desired; but ordinarily this is not necessary, asthe rolls have enough contact to feed the rod. The extremities of shaftsp p are extended and rounded, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for a purposepresently to be explained.

t t are blocks having projecting lugs with curved faces bearing againstthe said rounded ends of shafts p p on the inside. These blocks aremounted on the right and left threaded screw-shaft u, borne revolubly incarrier a and square-headed to enable it to be turned by a wrench orkey. By this means the blocks t t can be simultaneously approximated orseparated to any required extent. Their function is to bear against therounded ends of the rotating shafts p 10 when adjusted to the requireddegree of separation, and thereby hold the rolls q q at approximatelythe right distance apart for any particular diameter of rod or bar to befed, the said shafts p p being held elastically against the said curvedfaces with a suitable degree of pressure by means of the double spring ss, bearing against the outside of the boxes 0 o. The rolls shouldpreferably be set to a diameter of aperture a little smaller than thediameter of the rod or bar to be fed, so that the spring s mayelastically hold the rolls against the bar with the required amount ofpressure, thereby permitting the spring to compensate for variations inthe diameter of the bar or rod as fed and cause it to be fed forwardwith an approximately uniform grasp.

The cap or plate w is for the purpose of taking the end thrust of theworm-shaftf and is detachable.

Operation: The machine being in readiness for operation, the rod or bardesiredto be operated upon is passed within the hollow spindie e andaxially adjusted to central position between the feed-rolls q g by meansof the centering-screws rr r r. The rolls are adjusted to the properaperture by means of the right and left screw-shaft u, the proper rollsto tit the bar having been previously selected and inserted. Theshifting ring c is thrown to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, so that thepinion t' will revolve loosely on shaft f without communicating a motionof rotation thereto. The hollow spindle c and the carrier are nowstarted into rotation. If all is in readiness for the screw-threadingoperation,

the ringc is now shifted to the right by the means provided, therebyshifting loose pinion laterally on its shaft, bringing tooth l intocollision with lug m on shaft j', and thereby causing said shaft and itsworm z to rotate. The rotation of worm z sets up a motion of rotation inworm-gears 14 14 on shafts pp, and these latter cause the feed-rolls q qto revolve in the proper direction to feed the rod or bar forward. Whenthe proper length of bar has been fed forward and it is desired toarrest the feed of the bar, it is only necessary to shift the ring c tothe left, when loose pinion t' becomes disengaged from its shaft f andthe feed motion ceases. tage in this mode of applying and arresting thefeed motion is that no brake or frictional means are employed; but thearrest is instantaneous by a simple shift of gear, making the actionprecise and prompt both in setting up and in stopping the feed of thebar without regard to the rotary motion of the same.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a slight modification of parts without difference ofresult. f is the worm-shaft, and i is the pinion; but instead of thepinion being loose on the shaft the two are made integral, as shown inFig. 9, and the disengagement is effected by drawing the worm a bodilyout of contact with worm-gears 14 14 as both shaft and pinion are drawnforcibly to the left by the movement of ring c in that direction. Inthis event the smooth portion y of the shaft f comes opposite theworm-gears; but whenit is desired to resume the feed motion the shift ofring c in the opposite direction causes the return of worm z to itsposition between the worm-gears 14 14, thereby setting np the rotationof the feed rolls when the carrier is in revolution.

` I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a rod-feedingdevice, a revoluble hollow spindle, a carrier affixed thereto andrevolving therewith, feed-rolls mounted in said carrier, a stationarygear fixed concentric with said revoluble spindle, a gear mounted on ashaft in the said carrier engaging with the said stationary gear,suitable connections between the gear on the said shaft and thefeed-rolls, and means for bringing said connections into or out ofoperation at will, whereby the feed-rolls may be made to rotate abouttheir axis or not while revolving with the carrier about the axis of thespindle, substantially as specified.

2. In a rod-feeding device, a revoluble hollow spindle, a carrieraffixed thereto and revolving therewith, a stationary gear fixed con- Apeculiar advan- IOO IZO

nections are broken or restored at will, and the rotation of thefeed-rolls on their axes thus arrested or restored without interferingwith their motion of revolution about the axis of the carrier,substantially as specified.

3. In a rod-feeding device, a revoluble hollow spindle, a carrieraffixed thereto and revolving therewith, a stationary gear xedconcentric with said revoluble spindle, a movable gear within thecarrier in engagement with said stationary gear, a worm-shaft revolublyconnected with said movable gear, a pair of feed-rolls mounted onrevoluble shafts within the carrier, worm-gears on said shafts inengagement with the worm on said worm-shaft, whereby the feed-rollsreceive rotary motion therefrom, and means for shifting said movablegear laterally, Whereby the connection between the latter and saidfeed-roll shafts and gears may be interrupted at will, and the rotarymotion of the feed-rolls on their axes thereby arrested or renewedindependently of their motion of revolution about the axis of thecarrier, substantially as specified.

4. In a rod-feeding device, a revoluble hollow spindle, a carrier afxedthereto and revolving therewith, a stationary gear fixed concentric withsaid revoluble spindle, a wormshaft in said carrier, feed-rolls inmechanical connection with said worm-shaft and rotated thereby on theirrespective axes, a loose pinion mounted on said worm-shaft, in gear withthe said stationary gear, and means for shifting said loose pinion intoor out of connection with said worm-shaft, whereby the latter maycommunicate rotary motion to said feed-rolls or not at will whilerevolving about the axis of the carrier, substantially as specified.

5. In a rod-feeding device, a revoluble hollow spindle, a carrieraffixed thereto and revolving therewith, a stationary gear fixedconcentric with said revoluble spindle, a wormshaft and worm, a pair ofshaft-boxes pivoted on said Worm-shaft, feed-roll shafts within saidshaft-boxes, feed-rolls on said shafts, worm-gears on said shafts,engaging with said worm, and means for establishing a driving connectionbetween said stationary gear and said worm-shaft at will, whereby rotarymotion is communicated from said stationary gear to the feed-rolls whilerevolving about the axis of the carrier, substantially as speciiied.

6. In a rod-feeding device, the combination of the stationary gear, therevoluble spindle concentric therewith, the rotary carrier, the

worm-shaft and worm mounted therein, the feed-rolls, the feed-rollshafts having wormgears in engagement with the worm on the worm-shaft,the shaft-boxes pivoted on said worm-shaft, and the spring formaintaining elastic pressure of the feed-rolls upon the driven rod,substantially as specified.

7. In a rod-feeding device, the combination of a stationary gear, arevoluble spindle concentric therewith, a rotary carrier, a wormshaftand worm mounted therein, shaft-boxes pi voted to oscillate about theaxis of the wormshaft, feed-roll shafts in said boxes, wormgears on saidshafts `in engagement with said worm, feed-rolls q detachably borne onsaid feed-roll shafts, spring s, and means for adj ustably limiting theinward movement of said feed-rolls against the thrust of said spring,'substantially as specified.

8. In a rod-feeding device, the combination of a rotary carrier, aworm-shaft and worm mounted therein, a station ary gear concentric withthe axis of said carrier, a loose pinion in engagement with saidstationary gear, and means for bringing said loose pinion into and outof engagement with said worm-shaft, substantially as specified.

9. In a rod-feeding device, the combination of a rotary carrier, aworm-shaft and worm mounted therein, shaft-boxes pivoted to oscillateabout the axis of the worm-shaft, feedroll shafts p, p, in said boxes,feed-rolls mounted on said shafts, worm-gears on said shafts inengagement with said worm, spring s, blocks t, t, bearing against theextremities of said feed-roll shafts, and means for simultaneouslyadjusting the position of said blocks and the space between saidfeed-rolls, substantially as specified.

lO. In a rod-feeding device, the combination of a rotary carrier, aworm-shaft and worm mounted therein, a stationary gear concentric withthe axis of said rotary carrier, a pinion in engagement with saidstationary gea'r and connected with said worm-shaft, a groove k in saidpinion, a fork j in engage-A ment with said groove k, and means forshifting said fork and pinion laterally while said carrier is inrotation, substantially as speciiied In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES GODFREY RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

C. E. RICHARDSON, ALICE RICHARDSON.

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